USDA Announces $9.7B Empowering Rural America Program
Eligible applicants: *. Applications are due: September 15, 2023
Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity (this program is not yet accepting applications)
Opportunity: USDA Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program
Overview and Eligible Uses: The New ERA program aims to help member-owned rural electric cooperatives transition to clean, affordable, and reliable energy.
The program provides flexible funding to make energy efficiency improvements to eligible generation and transmission systems; to purchase, build, or deploy renewable energy, zero-emission systems, carbon capture storage systems; or to purchase renewable energy. Projects must be financially and technically feasible, affordable, and reliable.
Amount: A total of $9.7B is available. The maximum loan or award is $970M. The maximum grant size is 25% of total project costs
Award Type: Loans and/or grants
Eligible Applicants: The program is only open to rural electric cooperatives
Key Dates: Interested applicants must submit a Letter of Interest between July 31, 2023 and September 15, 2023
Key Links:
Notice of Funding Opportunity (Federal Register)
For a full list of currently available grant programs under the Infrastructure Law and other helpful tools, take a look at our Helpful Resources page.
This tracker will continue to send updates when new funding opportunities are announced.